(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an electronic photo album editing apparatus which is provided in a computer system, and more particularly to an apparatus for editing an electronic photo album in which photo images corresponding to photo data are set on a mount displayed on a screen of a display unit.
(2) Description of the Related Art
In recent years, electronic photo album editing apparatuses which edit electronic photo albums in computer systems have been commercialized. To improve utility of the electronic photo album, it is necessary to be capable of editing the electronic photo album in compliance with user's wishes.
A conventional electronic photo album editing apparatus is provided with photo data from a photo-CD. The photo-CD is a compact disk in which photo data corresponding to photo images is recorded. The photo data is read out of the photo-CD and processed so that photo images corresponding to the photo data are set on a mount displayed on a display screen of the computer system.
In response to user's editing operations, photo images and figure components showing seasons etc. are enlarged, reduced, moved and rotated, and then set on the mount displayed on the display screen. Characters can also be set on the mount. The outlines of photo images set on the mount can be modified by trimming. The photo images, figure components and characters can be deleted from the mount.
In an enlarging/reducing process in the conventional electronic photo album editing apparatus, the photo images and figure components set on the mount are not distinguished from each other. That is, the photo images and figure components are enlarged and reduced in the same enlarging/reducing manner which has been prepared in the computer system for the electronic photo album editing apparatus.
In moving and rotating processes, only objects which are specified in the photo images and figure components set on the mount are moved and rotated.
In a character setting process, when characters are specified by keyboard operations, the characters having a font style prepared in the computer system are set on the mount.
If a enlarging/reducing request is supplied after the outline of a photo image is modified by trimming, the trimming-modified photo image is enlarged and reduced.
In a deleting process, when an object is specified in the photo images and figure components (decorative components) set on the mount by mouse operations, the system does not inform a user that the specified object will be deleted. The specified object is then deleted from the mount in accordance with a deleting instruction.
In the conventional electronic photo album editing apparatus as described above, photo images corresponding to photo data which is not recorded in the photo-CD can not be inserted in the electronic photo album. Photo images corresponding to photo data items which are recorded in different photo-CDs are not inserted in the same electronic photo album.
In addition, it is difficult to enlarge and reduce photo images and figure components in different enlarging/reducing operations. For example, it is difficult to enlarge and reduce only photo images without changing a ratio of length to width and enlarge and reduce only figure components such that the ratio of length to width is changed.
Various operations are required in order to move or rotate a photo image together with a figure component with which the photo image overlaps. That is, although the photo image overlaps with the figure component (e.g., a photo frame component), an operation for selecting the photo image as an object to be moved or rotated and an operation for selecting the figure component as an object to be moved or rotated have to be separately performed.
Hand-written characters and handwritten figure components can not be set on the mount of the photo album.
If a enlarging request is supplied after the outline of a photo image is modified by trimming, the trimming-modified photo image is enlarged. Thus, indentation of the outline of the trimming-modified photo image are enlarged.
When an object to be deleted is specified by mouse operations, the system does not inform a user that the specified object will be deleted before the specified object is actually deleted in accordance with a deleting instruction. Thus, there may be a case where the object is deleted by mistake.
As has been described above, in the conventional electronic photo album editing apparatus, it is difficult to edit the electronic photo album in compliance with user's various wishes.